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Allen stepped towards the edge of the dojo, step by step, watched by the apprentices.
He came to stand before Ariel.
His footsteps stopped. Her emerald eyes and his dark gray pupils became entangled.
Both of their expressions were very calm, their demeanor exceptionally polite.
But this scene, in the eyes of the Water God Style junior dojo members, deeply entrenched in Asura's noble ways, appeared anything but ordinary.
The atmosphere earlier was very serious. Coupled with the shame of being utterly defeated, twenty-some of them, by Eris, most people, upon seeing Allen, were more concerned with the 'result' of Allen's return, and didn't focus on the 'reason' for his return.
But now, as the tension abruptly eased, and seeing the current scene, everyone's attention involuntarily shifted back to the reason for Allen's return.
Why did Allen suddenly come back?
—He owed a debt of love.
They saw that after Allen's brief interaction with the non-human girl who was basically confirmed as the other end of his love debt, he actually walked straight towards this 'Princess' whom they thought was simply passing by. They all froze, showing expressions of great surprise.
Soon, their simple emotions turned into 'The Chief Disciple is truly amazing,' 'A role model for our generation,' and so on.
Their gazes darted back and forth between Allen, Sylphy, and Ariel.
So 'She, He, and Her' has a 2.0 version? And the final winner includes her too?
What kind of melodramatic script was this? Following the childhood sweetheart with whom he had been engaged since birth, and the pure, naive non-human girl from the countryside, now it was the Second Princess, famously known as the 'most beautiful princess of all time,' involved in the capital's struggle for power.
This was just too...
...exciting, wasn't it??
Whispers immediately filled the air.
This time, however, Allen didn't turn to suppress the gazes and words of these gossiping nobles. Instead, he adopted an attitude of letting it be, and watched Ariel with interest.
Ariel's calm expression gradually vanished.
Her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
But she didn't speak.
Allen chuckled.
"I feel like you have something you want to tell me?"
Ariel calmly glanced at the nobles around her, whom she considered somewhat familiar.
Then she smiled softly, but didn't directly answer Allen's question.
"...Congratulations... Allen. My apologies, I was indeed mistaken before. You are already a Water King, and the youngest Water King in the Water God Style Dojo's history for over a century. What astonishing swordsmanship talent."
"Listening to you just now, you plan to hold another commendation ceremony tomorrow, before everyone's eyes? It reminds me of the scene that took place here a few years ago."
"Do you remember? You had just entered the ranks of Advanced Water God Style back then... Though I don't know what happened in these two years you were away from the royal capital... or why you left... but, congratulations on your return to the Water God Style Dojo. Listening to you just now, you plan to hold another commendation ceremony tomorrow, before everyone's eyes..."
Mid-sentence, she pointedly poked the doorframe beside her.
"I was standing right here back then. Do you still remember?"
Allen glanced at the dojo pillar nearby.
He had no recollection at all.
Too many people had been there that day. Isolte's location, not far from where Ariel stood, was rememberable, though.
The young Isolte back then was far less reserved than she was now, literally raising her arms and shouting from the sidelines.
However, some of the 'elders' in the junior dojo brightened their eyes when they heard this, letting out an 'Oh~.'
So, they had hooked up back then?
The whispers grew louder, making Dantolis, who was quietly talking to Isolte about whether Allen could stay at their house, frown tightly.
He glared at the apprentices who were clearly enjoying the show. He glanced at Isolte, who was already sharpening her 'blade,' and his lips twitched. He was about to go over and turn their two-person conversation into a multi-person one, hoping to squash any inappropriate new rumors.
Then, however, Derrick Redbat, who had just stepped over, grabbed his arm!
"Are you Head Trainer Dantolis?"
Dantolis: ?
Derrick Redbat quickly glanced at Isolte's hand on her sword, and silently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He had tried his best, truly. He was risking his life to create an opportunity for His Highness.
He quickly said.
"Although it's a bit presumptuous, I still have an impolite request. May I visit Her Majesty Reida, the Water God?"
Dantolis's face turned serious when he heard Reida's name.
"That... I'll need to ask Grandmother later..."
Isolte ignored the two, laying her hand on her sword and walking towards Allen's location.
Derrick Redbat took a step to stop her, but then, seeing Isolte grasp the hilt of her sword, he immediately recoiled. He looked at her feigned smile, silently swallowed, and extinguished that thought. But he had already engaged in conversation with Dantolis, so he could only continue to follow his lead and keep chatting.
On the other side, Allen and Ariel's conversation continued.
The former looked at the nearby pillar, remembering Isolte that night.
And, incidentally, James.
His eyes narrowed. He glanced at Isolte approaching, then scanned Ariel, who was deliberately trying to draw closer to him in front of the nobles, attempting to confirm the 'secret connection between Allen and Princess Ariel.' He smiled and spoke, but lowered his voice, leading the conversation in a strangely unexpected direction.
"It's time to fulfill the 'loan period's' price. Didn't you say you wanted to invite me to a banquet at the royal palace? I accept, but not at noon; tonight."
Ariel's face didn't change at his words; she remained smiling, feigning ignorance as she asked.
With a teasing, ambiguous tone.
However, she didn't try to challenge Allen's bottom line again, also lowering her voice so only the two of them could hear.
"Price? Tonight? Is it the kind of 'price' I'm imagining?"
Allen stared at her impassively.
They looked at each other in silence for a moment.
Ariel added awkwardly.
"I... I mean, although I don't have as much influence in the royal capital as my brothers, I can still help with many things. The 'price' doesn't need to be used in such a way. I generally understand your intention. This help is just a favor..."
"Oh? Your Highness Princess, what intention did you discern from Senior Brother? Are you already so impatient that you want to fulfill this 'price' tonight?"
Isolte had reached their side, smiling at Ariel, her words laced with veiled barbs.
The latter looked at Isolte's face, her expression very natural, as if that suggestive question, linking price and night, hadn't come from her mouth at all.
"Miss Isolte seems to have misunderstood something."
Isolte narrowed her eyes, smiling very gently. "I hope so."
She turned and hooked her arm through Allen's, walking towards Dantolis's location, directly leaving Ariel standing there.
Allen's expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled at Ariel and allowed himself to be pulled away by Isolte.
"Senior Brother, I've already told my brother that you can all stay at my house tonight," Isolte said in her distinctively slow, leisurely tone.
"Mm, good."
"How about I cook dinner tonight? Senior Brother hasn't eaten my cooking in a long time, has he?" Her pronunciation was exceptionally clear, her words soft and slow.
"Mm, good."
"So, will you sleep in my room tonight?" Her speaking speed suddenly increased!!
"Mm, okay???"
"It seems Senior Brother has agreed," she said, her voice returning to its gentle tone.
"Huh? No?"
Their voices gradually faded into the distance.
Ariel, who was left standing there, being made fun of by the apprentices, showed no trace of anger on her face.
Her mind still echoed with two sentences someone had said in the dojo just now.
—"Old rules apply, just like four years ago. I'll be the one challenged, ten matches, stopping short of serious injury."
—"It will be a banquet format, with both dojos serving as venues. You may bring your relatives to watch, no limit on numbers."
These two sentences sounded fine.
But it was worth noting that in all these years, only Allen had ever held a commendation banquet for promotion in the Water God Style Main Dojo.
This was an exception, not the norm.
And this time, that 'exception' was being continued.
Without knowing the information asymmetry that the commendation ceremony Allen announced for tomorrow hid a Dawn Knights' Order selection.
The perverse blonde girl, the Second Princess of Asura, stared fixedly at Allen's retreating figure.
Her cerulean eyes shimmered with an inexplicable sparkle.
Sweeping away her previous slump.
Allen Boreas Greyrat, so, you've been rejecting my recruitment all this time...
You were holding out for a better price...
I see. The fundamental reason for continuing this exception and specifically stating that these nobles can bring their relatives to watch, with no limit on numbers, is...
"You want fame?"
Night fell. The sun had already set, and the twilight glow had long disappeared below the horizon of Asura, this prosperous royal capital.
Even so.
Ariel's eyes still shimmered with an orange glow, rippling as she looked at Allen beside her.
The night wind ruffled their hair.
—It was now 7:00 PM, after nightfall.
The alluring ripples were not actual water ripples, for the latter was clearly beneath the mast in front of them, being cleaved by the ship's bow.
The orange glow in her eyes was also not true shimmering twilight, but came from clusters of widely spaced lights burning along both banks of the Artir River.
Those were the widely spaced, yet still bright as day, estates of the Upper Noble District at night.
The pleasure boat swayed on the river leading to the Silver Palace.
Allen rolled to lean against the mast. He looked at the guards and palace maids on the deck, all of whom clearly had happy smiles on their faces. After the terrifying moments of the sudden assassination, the surviving guards and palace maids had completely lost their initial 'playful' mindset from when they set off with Ariel. The usual tedious life in the royal capital seemed like a blessing, drawing these background characters to crave nothing but a full night of peaceful, fear-free sleep.
"Yes, I want fame."
Ariel also turned her head to look behind her. Not far away, Isolte was standing with Sylphy, discussing something, but both of their gazes were fixed on their location.
Ariel had been trying to find an opportunity to speak to Allen alone all day, but she had failed. Until now, Allen had actually taken the initiative, walking to the mast and giving her this opportunity while Sylphy, Isolte, and Eris were discussing their overnight arrangements.
This can be done...
Ariel blinked.
"Your 'price,' if I'm not mistaken, is that you want me to help invite the nobles of the royal capital to tomorrow afternoon's commendation banquet in my name."
Ariel said with a teasing smile, her posture relaxed.
"But this, isn't it too unfair, Allen? You want to hold another commendation ceremony, which means you've actually always wanted to participate in the succession struggle. Thinking about it now, there were signs early on; your expression towards James at the commendation banquet was already somewhat inappropriate."
"Father-son conflict? Unwilling to be subservient? Or internal strife within the Boreas family?"
"I'm not quite sure."
"But what I can confirm is that you left the royal capital as a Water Saint, and you've returned as the youngest Water King in the Water God Style Dojo's history for over a century, all for the purpose of using this commendation banquet to announce your existence to the royal capital."
"To demonstrate your rarity and value, to acquire more."
"Wouldn't this be making me use my own hands to push you towards my two brothers?"
In her words, given that it was just the two of them now, Ariel had dropped the honorifics, intentionally trying to reduce the distance between them.
"It's very fair," Allen replied, quite insensitively.
Ariel's expression stiffened, looking somewhat helpless.
She was skilled at using words that breached safe distances to close the gap between them, then using her words to subtly guide him towards her goals.
But Allen remained impervious from beginning to end.
Leaving her with this feeling of frustration and confusion from time to time.
However, his words were very sincere.
"No need to be so cold. I just mean that there's no need for a 'price'; this is just a trivial favor, and I'm very happy to help you, even if..."
She tilted her head, looking at Allen, and smoothed her hair, which the river wind had disheveled.
"It doesn't matter if you ultimately don't choose my faction. I am simply genuinely willing to help you."
This posture made Sylphy, who was secretly observing from a distance, show a cute, open-mouthed expression, while Isolte's fists clenched even tighter.
Allen smiled and shook his head.
"If you were truly sincere, you wouldn't be standing here at this time saying such things to me, would you?"
Ariel's face froze, and she immediately looked flustered.
Allen, however, waved his hand, cutting off her intention to retort.
"Don't rush. You're being sincere with me now only because you have no other choice. But when you truly have a choice, things might change."
Ariel's expression looked somewhat dazed at his words.
Allen's smile, however, grew a little brighter.
In a literal sense.
Because in the span of these few sentences, with the boatmen vigorously rowing, they had already left behind the sprawling Upper Noble District.
Even in the night, the Silver Palace, still brightly lit, entered their view. A long line of dazzling lights atop the city walls and on the wall itself shone on their faces, illuminating the Artir River at night as if it were daytime.
The ship passed silently through the city gate, proceeding along the river, cutting through the waves beside the gleaming mansions.
Before long, they arrived outside Ariel's residence.
The garden-style mansion was also brightly lit.
Even the small dock beside the Princess's mansion was bustling with people, unusually noisy.
It was truly lively.
However, Ariel's face showed clear surprise.
Because the figures on the dock.
There were a few too many.
Just as she was looking at the dock, a voice laced with amusement came from beside her.
"Why do I want fame? Because 'support' elevates 'value.' When you have enough 'support' around you, your 'value' becomes more obvious. This doesn't depend on you yourself, but on the competitive mindset driven by conformity."
"As long as the 'support' is sufficient, and strong enough."
"You become even more valuable."
Ariel turned to look at Allen in a daze.
The latter extended his index finger, circling himself, Isolte, and the others.
Then pointed to Ariel.
"Night has fallen, and news from Flowing Falls City has arrived. The news of me appearing with you in the dojo during the day has also spread."
"Certain seemingly vague facts have been confirmed."
"Now, your 'support' is right by your side."
"You, too, are naturally very valuable."
The distant clamor gradually became clearer.
Clear.
It reached both their ears.
On the dock, there were shouts.
—"Princess!! Duke Pilemon has come to visit!!"
It was very noisy.
But even so, Allen's voice, which reached Ariel's ears, sounded even clearer.
"You see, now there's a new choice. So, in this situation..."
At this very moment.
In Ariel's eyes.
The brown-haired boy with dark gray eyes, the smile on his face in the light of the night fires...
...was so dazzling.
"Can you still be 'sincere'?"
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if you want more updates == supports with power stones
Every 20 Power Stones==Bonus Chapter